Dr Mariano
by MarlyCook
Summary: I had no relation to either of them besides the brief time we spend around each other. I think what made me so attached was the thought of myself being the first person Marina saw and me being the first person who saw Marina. Literati.
1. I: In My Arms

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**Title: **_Dr. Mariano_

**Author: **_Marly Cook_

**Rating: **_T_

**Summary: **_She wasn't even my child. I had no relation to either of them besides the brief time we spend around each other. I think what made me so attached was the thought of myself being the first person Marina saw and me being the first person who saw Marina._

**Disclaimer: **_Marina and Emely. Others are purely ASP's._

_Thanks Red! :)_

_Finally a day off_, I thought, looking through the bookshelf at the local library. I hadn't had a day to myself in weeks. It was work, tests, or Emely. That seemed to get old to me and the days I spent to myself were the ones I cherished the most.

My thumb traced over the books on the second shelf, the authors' names getting less recognizable each time the publishing year got more recent. I sighed and pulled out an interesting title, only to read the summary with disappointment.

I clicked my tongue to the roof of my mouth and stuffed the book under my arm. Seemed mockable enough. And maybe this library won't be overly touchy about small notes in the margins.

The thought of being alone tonight made goose bumps on my arms. Was that horrible or what? I adored Emely, sure, but there were some nights where she just crowded me.

The piercing scream broke me from my thoughts and the first thought that came to my mind was strictly professional: Well, damn_._

I huffed and groaned, contemplating on whether or not to go help or just stay where I was. Maybe someone got a paper cut. A very, very deep one.

I decided against that theory and laid my book on the shelf, following the cries and pained moans. I led myself up the stairs and turned to the right, seeing a woman lying on her back, her elbows resting beneath her and holding her up. People were crowding around, calling for an ambulance, but not getting any service.

_Of course_, I thought.

I pushed through the crowd and growled in a very professional voice, "Stand back. Give her space." I looked down at her and noticed her stomach being particularly large. I groaned and mumbled something about tending to medical issues even when I was off the clock.

You see, I studied obstetrics and gynecology for two years before I decided to change my profession. Handling women just didn't seem to appeal to me and in my mind, if I delivered babies all the time how would it be special when my own wife had one?

Instead, I decided to be a plastic surgeon. Yes, I do work on women's breasts that are already perfect to begin with. Nose jobs are the most popular, to be honest. And the numbers I get are amazing. Women practically throw themselves at me on some days. However, I have Emely, and that's all I need, I guess.

Most of my profession I spend overseas working on the tormented faces and bones of the war victims. That kind of stuff I happen to find pretty wicked. Emely, however, thinks I'm insane. Such a woman.

I kneeled down beside the panting woman and felt the damp carpet underneath us, "Hi, I'm Dr. Mariano and no I am not an Obstetrician. I did, however, study obstetrics in college before I decided to change my profession so yes; I know what to do in these cases. Any questions?"

She shivered, letting out a shrill noise through her teeth, "No … just … please."

The look in her eyes sent a chill down my spine and I thought I felt my throat tighten. I couldn't bare that kind of pain, but I had to ask questions. "How much were you dilated this morning?"

"Th-three," she screamed, clawing the carpet and throwing her head back on the floor.

I asked for something to cover her and make her more comfortable in this situation and was brought a Big Bird blanket from the children's section. I threw it over her knees and pulled down her shorts, trying to make this as professional as possible.

She sobbed heavily, yelling as loud as she could. Somewhere in the back of my mind a thought passed by, making me chuckle. Wonder what the uptight librarian would think about this?

I felt the head and suddenly this surge of pride coursed through my veins. I am responsible for bringing a life into this world. Is this what I was passing up when I changed my profession? I tried shushing her, rubbing her leg softly as I encouraged her to breathe deep and push hard.

"Oh my god," she choked out, straining as she pushed her child out.

"Scissors!" I called to the people around me, "I need scissors and where is that ambulance?!"

She screamed once again and the shrill noise made my head spin. The baby was out and I was holding it in my bare arms, looking down at the bloody bundle. A girl. I smiled and looked up at the mother, resting back on the carpet. Her breathing erratic and her hair matted to her red face.

"Are you okay?" I attempted to ask her, just as the paramedics rushed in.

Her Obstetrician hurried in the library and kneeled down beside her, "Rory. Are you okay?" He pushed her hair back and glanced at me, smiling. "Thank you Mr. …?"

"Doctor," I corrected, nodding, "Dr. Mariano."

"Dr. Henshaw," he said, nodding to me.

I watched as her doctor cut the umbilical cord and loaded her onto the stretcher, taking her and the new born baby girl to the nearest clinic.

Before they wheeled her out to the ambulance she looked up at me and smiled, "It's Rory Renaldo. Thank you so much, Dr. Mariano."

I smiled to her and nodded once, glancing at the rock on her hand. Renaldo. She was probably in relation to Garret Renaldo, the biggest attorney in Cherry Hill, Pennsylvania.

I decided to go to the hospital once I checked out my book. Emely wouldn't be home until later on and I rather visit her than watch reruns of _That 70's Show _all night. I walked to the counter and handed the librarian two books, acting like I didn't just deliver a child in one of her isles.

She narrowed her eyes, her head tilted. "Is that normal for you?"

"Nope," I replied, taking the books, "I work on breasts. Much more appealing."

Her stare hardened as if she was offended and her mouth dropped open at my rude comment. I only smirked and nodded to her. Emely will love that one.

* * *

Once I was at the hospital I went up to the desk and felt silently relieved that she had given me her name. I was directed towards her room and knocked once before walking in, letting the doctor side of me take over. I cursed, silently, scolding myself for not waiting to be invited in.

She was sitting up in her bed, her head lolled back and her face showing exhaustion. I made my way to her bed and cleared my throat, "Mrs. Renaldo?"

Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled at me, moving higher up on the bed. The movement didn't change her position, but I thought it was nice to try. "Dr. Mariano," she whispered, hoarsely.

"Hey," I grinned and stood next to the bed, "how are you? And the baby?"

"Marina," she smiled, gesturing to me, "I liked your last name. And you were a big part in getting her here."

I couldn't help but grin at the woman. She was pretty. I didn't notice it before with her delivering a baby and all, but she was attractive. I could only imagine what she looked like when she was fixed up and out on the town.

"We're both fine," she added.

In the back of my mind I wandered where her husband was or any of her other family members, but I didn't push it. For some odd reason, I didn't want anyone there. I felt as if I was responsible for the woman and her baby. It was a very weird thought.

"Thank you," I muttered, "for … the name."

She nodded, a small smile on her face.

"Now," I sighed, the professional side making its appearance, "why were you out by yourself when you were already dilated?"

"What kind of doctor are you?" She asked, quickly, changing the subject. A very friendly question, but it annoyed me.

I gave a light sigh, "I'm a plastic surgeon."

"Oh," she nodded and looked like she was thinking about something very hard. She looked uncomfortable.

"So, are you going to answer me?" I asked, slowly.

She sighed and shrugged her petite shoulders, "My husband wasn't home and neither was the nanny. I wanted some books so I left to get them."

I felt immediate sympathy. Poor thing only had a husband and a nanny. I never liked the thought of nannies, they seemed too impersonal. It's almost as if the nanny was the mother of the household. Always the one to clean up, take care of the kids, cook. It just didn't seem like the families were real when they had a nanny.

And to add to that thought, this woman just seemed lonely. Maybe I was looking too much into it. Hell, she could be very happy. I just didn't get that vibe.

"Well, that is a good reason, I suppose."

She gave a light laugh, "Do you know when I will be able to see my baby?"

"I can ask for you."

"That would be great," she leaned back against the pillows, and then added, "Thank you."

"It's no big deal, Mrs. Renaldo," I assured her, and walked out of the room.

Walking to the desk, I sighed loudly to myself. I'd have to call Emely soon and tell her what I was up to. Wouldn't want her to think I was cheating on her again. Yes, I said again.

I have honestly never been with another woman while I was with Emely. She just jumped to conclusions when she knew I was working on a model's breasts. The model wanted to quit the runway business and do photo shoots for _Sports Illustrated _and _Playboy_, which only meant she needed bigger breasts.

Sure, she was attractive and I could have gotten her easily. The fact of the matter was I didn't want to. I was content with Emely. Emely just didn't trust me then.

I asked for Dr. Henshaw and when he appeared minutes later, he looked surprised to see me.

"Dr. Mariano?"

"Yeah," I nodded, "Mrs. Renaldo wants to know when she can see Marina."

"Oh," he nodded, "of course. I thought she was still asleep."

I just smiled to him and held up my cell phone, motioning to it. He nodded in understanding and I walked outside. I held my Blackberry to my ear and waited for Emely to pick up.

"Hi there," I could practically hear her smile, "where are you?"

"At the hospital," I answered, scratching the back of my head.

"I thought you were off today," she suddenly became paranoid, "are you okay? Was there a bad accident?"

"No," I smirked and leaned back against the wall, "I'm okay. I was at the library and this woman went into labor. So, I helped deliver the baby then I came to visit her in the hospital."

I heard her laugh a little and say, "Well, you just can't catch a break, can you?"

"Nah," I smiled, "But she's really sweet. And the baby, Em, the baby is just beautiful. Her name is Rory Renaldo, the mother, I mean. You know, she's the wife of Garret Renaldo, I think."

"Oh, the attorney," she said, softly, sounding like she was busy.

"Yep," I nodded, and looked up at the sun. Squinting, I thought about Rory in there with her adorable daughter. I couldn't help but smile. I didn't want to leave the hospital just yet. I wanted to see Marina. The name, I remembered suddenly. "Emely, she named the baby after me in a way."

"She what?"

"Yeah," I smirked, "I delivered it and she liked my last name. She named her daughter Marina."

"Huh," Emely said, shortly. "Does she know you? Like, have you performed some kind of surgery on her before?"

I shook my head. I would have remembered her. "No."

"That's kind of weird."

"Nah," I cleared my throat, watching a couple walk in the hospital. "I think it's cool."

There was silence over the phone and I waited. I've gotten used to those silences. It meant she was thinking of what to say because the situation was terrible, awkward, or weird. Who knows what she's thinking about this.

"Where's her husband?"

"She didn't say," I thought about our conversation and added, "she just said he was out of town. I should get Dr. Henshaw to call him."

Emely cleared her throat, "Ah, hon. You know, she could do that."

I got annoyed with that statement, but tried not to show it. "Yeah, but I feel responsible. I mean, I was the first to hold Marina and I got Rory safe and to a hospital and—"

"Whoa," she said, cutting me off, "you are attached to that baby already."

I just shook my head, "Look Em, I'm gonna go talk to the doctors. I'll see you when you get home, okay?"

"Alright. Bye hon," she said, sighing.

"Bye." I hung up the phone and stuffed it into my jacket pocket. Once I was back inside, I walked over to Dr. Henshaw. "Did you call her husband?"

"No," he shook his head, "I decided to wait until Mrs. Renaldo asked me to."

I raised one eyebrow and snorted, "That's ridiculous. Call Mr. Renaldo. He needs to know his daughter was born."

Dr. Henshaw nodded and walked to the desk, leaving me contemplating on whether or not to go back in Rory's room.

* * *

_Review? _

* * *


	2. II: Addicted

**Title: **_Dr. Mariano_

**Author: **_Marly Cook_

**Rating: **_T_

**Summary: **_She wasn't even my child. I had no relation to either of them besides the brief time we spend around each other. I think what made me so attached was the thought of myself being the first person Marina saw and me being the first person who saw Marina._

**Disclaimer: **_Marina and Emely. Others are purely ASP's._

_Thank you Sarah! :) And thank you my dear Sue for encouraging me to post this and nagging until I did. I love you very very much!_

* * *

_I want to thank my reviewers very very much for the reviews I recieved! I told you guys I was writing this one fast. I hope you guys like this chapter. _

* * *

I decided I should. So, I walked in and smiled when I saw her looking down at the baby girl. I went over to her bed and sat down on the blue chair beside it. "She's really pretty."

"I know," she whispered, her eyes never leaving the baby. "Is Garret on his way?"

So she was Garret's wife. I was right. I shrugged, "I'm not sure. Dr. Henshaw just called him."

"Oh."

I couldn't help but stare at the baby. Why was I so attached to her? I couldn't answer that, really. There was just something holding my stare when I glanced at her. So tiny.

Rory's voice broke my thoughts as she asked me, "Would you like to hold her?"

"Yeah, please," I smiled and reached out, waiting for the baby to be placed in my arms. She was laid carefully into my hands and I pulled her close, looking down at her face. Blue eyes. I looked up to see if Rory owned the same. She did.

"You look good," I heard her say, a small giggle following after the words.

I looked up at her and she was smiling, "What do you mean?"

Rory laughed and placed her hand on top of Marina's head, "I mean you look good holding a baby. You look natural. Marina seems to be fascinated by you."

"I think everything is fascinating her right now."

"I'm sure she'd be a bit terrified if Dr. Henshaw came too close to her," she joked, "he's not as pretty."

I raised an eyebrow, smirking slightly at her words. I had to curse myself. I can't be flirting with a married woman who just had a baby.

"Well," she smiled at me, "you know what I mean."

"I do," I said, laughing only a little. She was charming. I glanced back down at the baby who was blindly grabbing for my hand that was resting on her small stomach. I smiled down at her and she kicked her tiny legs and wailed her small arms around in my embrace.

I looked up at Rory again. She was staring at us.

"Mrs. Renaldo—"

"Call me Rory."

I nodded only once and smiled slightly. "Rory," I corrected, "where's your family?"

She let her finger graze her daughter's tiny hairs before stopping and glancing up at me. "My mom should be here soon. She lives a pretty good ways away. My husband is out of town and his parents are busy I'm sure. His sister is a drug addict so I doubt she cares and my grandparents," she paused, "well, they should be here."

I clutched the baby closer to me, feeling a small pain in my chest for her. I guess when it came down to it, Rory had Marina and Marina had Rory in this town. They were each other's lives.

Something inside of me wanted to be a part of the small duo. But, I pushed the thought aside and just held Marina in my arms. Again, the only thing I could think was how tiny she was.

* * *

I left the hospital when I saw how tired Rory was getting. Before I left she asked me if I'd come by again before they got out of the hospital. I nodded briefly and gave her a comforting smile. To be honest, nothing would make me happier than to see Marina again.

How strange was that?

She wasn't even my child. I had no relation to either of them besides the brief time we spent around each other. I think what made me so attached was the thought of myself being the first person Marina saw and me being the first person to see Marina.

Once I walked into my apartment I noticed Emely's car keys were on the kitchen counter. I smiled and walked to our bedroom. She was standing by our bed in nothing but a long t-shirt. She gave me a smile and continued unpacking her suitcase.

"Hey," I heard myself say, as I walked over to her.

Emely put down a pair of jeans and faced me, placing her hand on my face, "Hi."

I smirked and pulled her closer by her hips, attaching my lips to hers. She grinned in the kiss and wrapped her arms around my neck. I could feel her rising up, which only meant she was standing on her tip-toes now.

I never got why she did that. Emely was already tall and leggy. She wasn't taller than me but she was damn near close. She had fire-engine red hair and pale skin. Her eyes were a vibrant green and her smile was as white as a celebrity's. She was slim, but had the physical features any man would go crazy about.

I pulled her closer and pulled my mouth away from hers, "You're home early."

"Yes," she smiled and turned back to her suitcase, "are you just getting home from the hospital?"

I nodded and sat down on the bed, leaning back until I felt my back hit the comfortable mattress. "I stayed for a while, because none of her family showed up. Her doctor called her mother after I had been there for a couple of hours and her mom should be there late tonight. But, her husband never came."

"That's sad," she commented, shoving the empty suitcase under the bed, "are you going to go back?"

"Yeah," I sat up and pulled my jeans down my legs, kicking them off the rest of the way, "before or after work sometime I'll stop by."

Emely crawled in the bed beside me and I felt the comforter thrown down on top of my head. I moved it out of my face and scooted up in the bed, getting under the covers. I threw off my shirt and leaned back in bed. She turned to face me and bit her bottom lip. "I want to come with you one time."

I nodded and pulled her close to me, "Sure."

I could feel it even if she couldn't. Emely was starting to feel insecure. She did this often, mostly when I start getting attached to a project. However, Rory and Marina weren't projects. They were people. People who just needed an extra friend in their lives. I can understand where Emely would start getting uneasy and I could assure her that nothing would happen with our relationship. But, I don't know if that'd be a promise I could keep.

We've drifted apart before and I don't think we could survive doing it again. You see, Emely is a Neurologist. And a damn good one at that. The thing about Emely is she travels a ton. She's always gone because she isn't the kind of doctor to just have one office. Well, about four months into our relationship her traveling was non-stop.

Honestly, I never saw her. And I'm not the kind of guy who mopes around and dwells on how much I miss this girl or how much I want to be with this girl, but I missed her. I did. So one night when she calls me I sound pretty pissed off. She catches on. I deny it. (Truth be told, I was pretty pissed.) We get into this huge fight about how much both of our careers mean to the other.

And then the fight turns into how different our lives are going to be. I don't like the way it's going so I change the subject. That's the only way our relationship survived that fight. We still don't know how we'll work it out, but right now it's enough.

"Are you going to sleep?" she asked me, her cold fingers grazing my warm stomach.

I shook my head and intertwined our legs together, pressing my lips to her bare shoulder. "Not yet."

She scooted up until her face was inches from mine and pressed her lips against my mouth. My hand traveled to the back of her head and I held her there, moving my lips against hers. Her fingers grasped onto my forearm and she pulled herself closer to me.

I felt her hips connect with mine and I smiled, pulling her on top of me. Her hair fell over her face and framed mine as she hovered above me. My hands cupped her cheeks and I pulled away just to look at her. "Huh, someone missed me."

"Shut up," she snapped, hitting my chest.

I smirked and saw a smile appear on her face. "Well?"

"Okay, I did," she kissed me again; I could feel her hands grab my shoulders. My hands ran down her back and pressed her into me. She moved her lips to my chin, then to my neck. I held her closer and turned us over.

"I missed you too," I mumbled, pulling up her shirt.

* * *

"_Marina," I called, stepping out of the car, "I'm home!"_

_The house door opened and Rory stepped out, smiling, "You can't call for me anymore?"_

_I shook my head and grabbed a big pink box out of the back seat, the label on the right said 'To Marina'. When I turned back around a two year old girl ran up to me and hugged my leg, reaching up for the gift._

"_Hey sweetheart," I grinned and picked her up, handing her the box. I walked up the sidewalk and kissed Rory's forehead. "And other sweetheart," I smiled._

_She gave me a smile and kissed my cheek._

I blinked a couple of times, waking up to the sun streaming into my open blinds. I hated when Emely left the blinds open. I sat up in bed, rubbing my eyes and I glanced to the left of me. Smiling, I saw Emely face down into the bed, her back revealed. The sheets fell down to her lower back.

I couldn't really remember my dream. I remember Rory.

Rory and Marina.

An older Marina.

A nice house. A nice car. A big pink box.

I shook my head, deciding not to strain myself. I rolled to my side and placed an open mouth kiss on her shoulder blade. "Em …"

She grunted and buried her head deeper in the pillow, "Go away."

"I'm about to," I smirked, nudging her gently, "that's why I am waking you up."

Emely sighed and rolled over, pulling the sheets up to cover her breasts, "Bye Jess."

"I swear, sometimes I think you're just using me for my body," I teased, leaning down to place a kiss on her lips. She smiled and swatted at my chest.

"You know that's a lie."

I chuckled, "Yeah, I guess so. Bye Em."

She nodded to me and pulled the sheets over her head, blocking out the morning sun. I only chuckled, not bothering to pull the blinds to a close. I had to suffer, damn it, she could too.

I went to the bathroom and stepped in the shower. I couldn't stop thinking while I was washing myself off. That dream. It was a little odd to me. I rested my head against the shower wall and let the hot water roll down my back. Was Marina my daughter in that dream? Was Rory my wife? Am I looking too much into it?

Yes, yes I am.

I sighed and stepped out of the shower, grabbing a hand towel to wipe my face and grabbing the larger towel to dry off with. I pulled on clean boxers that Emely conveniently thought to keep in an extra cabinet next to her underwear.

Not a bad idea, I'll give her that.

Once I was dry and in my under garments, I walked out to the bedroom and finished dressing. I'm not required to wear scrubs, but I liked them.

I threw on my black ones and grabbed my wallet off the counter once I was out of my room. I snapped on my Fossil watch and slid the keys off the marble, letting them fall into my hand.

I was out of the door in a second.

Once I was in the car and driving to the hospital, I let the thoughts about the dream come back to me once again. Why would I dream about them two? Besides Marina being in my head most of the day she was in my dream too? But older?

I didn't get it.

I pulled into the hospital's parking lot after running by McDonald's drive-thru for breakfast and walked through the sliding doors. I walked past the counter and smiled at the receptionist before knocking on Rory's door. I heard a weak: "Come in."

And I opened the door, walking inside. I smiled at her and handed her a biscuit, "Hey, don't know if you like them, but I happen to think sausage biscuits from McDonald's are godlike."

She laughed a little and took it from my hand, "Thanks Dr. Mariano."

"Can you just call me Jess? It'd make me feel much better about visiting you this much. Pretend we're old friends," I smirked and sat beside her.

"Well, thanks Jess," she leaned back in the bed and looked up at the TV. I glanced up at it, but ended up just looking back down at her.

"So, anybody show up?"

"Oh," she grinned, nodding to me, "yeah. My mom is here. She went down to get some coffee, though."

"No sign of your husband?"

"No," she shook her head, "Garret hasn't made it, but he did call me."

I nodded. I didn't want to say anything. Honestly, because that made a small spark inside of me. You could say that thoroughly pissed me off. He called? Big deal. I delivered the baby. I've been here every chance I could. The father can't even make an appearance?

"He's been a little busy with his new case," she shrugged, "it's not a big deal."

It is to me. I wanted to say it, but I just couldn't. I just nodded and sighed, instead. She must have caught onto my odd anger.

She opened her mouth to say something to me and I was prepared to listen. However, we were interrupted by the large wooden door opening up and an older brunette woman walking in.

"Mom," Rory smiled and took a bite of the biscuit. "This is the doctor I was telling you about. The one that delivered Marina in the library."

"Oh!" The woman set down her coffee cup and smiled at me, "Hi, I'm Lorelai, Rory's mom."

I smiled and nodded to her, "Nice to meet you."

In my opinion she looked too young to be the mother of Rory, but I didn't make any comments. Teen mom, I was sure of it. She was a taller woman, and Rory resembled her a good bit. She had wild; dark hair and a pretty smile. She was wearing a rhinestone jean jacket with a pink shirt underneath.

Very pretty, actually.

"Thank you for helping Rory," she nodded to me, a grin on her face.

"No problem, ma'am," I smiled and stood up, wiping my hands on my jeans. "I guess I should head to work. How long are you going to be here, Rory?"

"The doctor hasn't let me know, yet," she shrugged, "are you coming back?"

"If you don't mind," I smirked down at her, "when I get off work I'll come by and see Marina. Is that okay?"

"Absolutely," she smiled at me.

"Nice meeting you," I said, nodding to her mother. And then I was out of the room and back outside. I got into my car and drove down to the office.

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_Review?_


	3. III: Focus

**Title: **_Dr. Mariano_

**Author: **_Marly Cook_

**Rating: **_T_

**Summary: **_She wasn't even my child. I had no relation to either of them besides the brief time we spend around each other. I think what made me so attached was the thought of myself being the first person Marina saw and me being the first person who saw Marina._

**Disclaimer: **_Marina and Emely. Others are purely ASP's._

_Thanks Red! :)_

* * *

I leaned back in my chair, thinking I was finally going to catch a break when I heard my desk phone make a shrill beeping noise. I glared at it. Pathetic? I know. But honestly, I didn't think I could catch a break anymore. My practice had never been this busy.

I wanted to ignore it. I really wanted to just close my eyes and pretend that there was no one on the other line. But, the thought of money entered my head. I needed money. I groaned and sat up in the chair, then picked the phone up.

"Dr. Mariano," I answered, fiddling with the pen on my desk. I popped the cap up and clicked it back down a few times, waiting for someone to speak.

"Hi, I'm Adrianna Philmore," she cleared her throat and I rested my hand in my palm, "I'd like to set up an appointment to meet with you. I'm looking to have a breast reduction."

I nodded, writing her down on my calendar. _Wait_, I thought, _Adrianna Philmore. I just gave her boobs two years ago!_ "What about the day after tomorrow. Ten that morning?"

"That's fine, Dr. Mariano," I heard her say, her voice shrill and high-pitched, "Thank you."

I nodded, "You're welcome." And then I hung up the phone.

I decided to glance up at the clock and let out a sigh of relief when I saw that I was now off the clock. I put down my pen and shoved everything back into their drawers. My computer was turned off, my jacket thrown on, and my door locked behind me as I left. I could hear the phone ringing in my office, distantly.

When I got into my car the first thing I thought was: I need to get something for Marina.

Why did that come to my mind? I have no absolutely clue. Instead of questioning it, I made my way to the hospital.

_The gift shop_, I thought, following the hospital signs down the hall once I got there. I made my way inside the little store and looked around for something appropriate.

Pink teddy bear? Too unoriginal.

A 'My First Teddy'? Nah. Still, too unoriginal.

Then I spotted it. A gray hippopotamus with the words 'My first hippo' written on the belly of it. The fur was soft and it was small enough for Marina to wrap her arms around. I smiled and grabbed it.

* * *

"Hey," I smirked, walking into Rory's room, "where's your mom?"

Rory smiled to me, lifting up in bed, her book now face-down on her lap and forgotten, "She had to run back to the inn. They needed her."

"Oh," I nodded, "she owns an Inn?"

Rory nodded to me and her eyes fell to my hand, I saw a smile break out on her face, "That for Marina or did you get lonely on your way over here?"

I couldn't help but laugh, "Marina's."

"Thank you, Jess," she smiled and I laid it in her lap.

"Did I miss Marina again?" I asked, hoping I didn't. It was as if she was my own daughter and I needed to see if she was okay.

Rory shook her head, "No. The nurse is about to bring her in."

"Good."

She smiled at me then, her eyes shining bright. Brighter than I had seen them, but that didn't say much. I didn't realize why she looked so vibrant until I glanced behind me and saw the nurse holding Marina tightly to her.

I took a deep breath and watched as the nurse set the baby in Rory's arms. I moved the hippo out of the way, giving Marina room to lie in her mom's arms. Smirking, I stood up and looked down at her. She stared up at me, her mouth set in a grin.

"Hey Marina," I smiled, my hand moving down to hook onto her tiny fingers. She grabbed my index finger and her face showed excitement. She was kicking like crazy and small noises came from her throat, making Rory and I both chuckle.

"I'm telling you," Rory said, smiling up at me, "she likes you."

"I like her, too," I said, glancing up at Rory. She grinned at me and stared back down at her daughter. I cleared my throat and asked the question she was dreading. "No Garret?"

"No."

"Oh," I nodded, "did he call?"

Rory nodded her head and ran her thumb across Marina's forehead, "Yeah. He called."

"Did he say when he would be home?"

She shook her head this time, shrugging her slender shoulders. I sighed and raked a hand through my hair. This was getting the best of me. I bit the inside of my cheek and held in any smart ass remarks.

I was a medical professional. So this was a hard task.

But when I looked at her, she was giving me a pleading look. As if she heard this speech, she was anticipating me to start on, from everyone else. I decided not to give it to her.

Instead I sat and looked down at the one thing that mysteriously linked us together. Marina.

* * *

I walked in our bedroom, just to see Emely packing up her suitcase. Her hair wild, I'm guessing from frustration, and her face twisted into a small frown.

"Emely?"

She looked up at me and gave a small smile, "My sister called. She needs me tonight."

I nodded and sat down on the bed. "But, you just got home," I mumbled, looking up at her.

Emely placed her hands on my cheeks and pressed her lips to my forehead. "Don't be a baby," she grinned, pulling away to zip up her bag.

I huffed and shuffled my foot against the carpet, "Fine. I'll just go see Marina tonight."

She looked at me, her eyebrow raised, "Again?"

"Yeah."

"Huh," she nodded, and then bit her bottom lip, "Oh! I can go with you on the way to my sisters and meet them. Both."

"If you would like to," I nodded and stood up, "want to go now?"

She patted my arm and looked down at her bag, "Trying to get rid of me?"

"No," I shrugged and helped her get the stubborn zipper unstuck. I needed to get her a new one. We stood in silence for a minute, I was waiting on her to make some kind of movement.

She sighed and threw her hands up, "Okay we can go now. I have nothing else to do."

I nodded, smirking at her stubbornness, "Come on."

Hoisting her suitcase off the bed, I kissed her cheek and made my way to the door. She grabbed her keys and unlocked the car from behind me. I heard the small beep as I walked outside. I thought about her car and smirked, "Pop the trunk, Em! I can't fit this in that tiny back seat!"

"Oh! Right! Sorry!"

I chuckled and watched the trunk rise.

When I shoved the over-packed bag into the small space I had, I slammed it close and looked up to see her smiling at me. Her over-sized sunshades pushed back on her head, and her ponytail reaching just past her shoulders. Her hair was getting a bit longer.

"You're going to follow me there?"

She nodded and bounced over to me, opening her door and stepping in. "Don't take me to a remote area and murder me."

"They'll never suspect me," I retorted, stepping away from her black Solstice.

She laughed and closed her door, cranking up the car and backing out of the driveway. I followed suit in my own vehicle and made my way to the hospital.

* * *

I used the parking spot that I had used the last two days and watched as Emely whipped her small car into the space beside me. I stepped out and waited on her.

I didn't understand what took females so long to get out of the car. When she finally stepped out, she locked her vehicle and stepped up to me. Her lips pressed against my cheek as she grabbed for my hand. I smirked and laced our fingers together.

This time when I walked inside the hospital I wanted to take a breather before we went inside Rory's room. For some reason, I wanted Emely and Rory to like each other.

She noticed my hesitation. I knew this, because she placed her other hand over ours and squeezed lightly. I smirked at her and kissed her head, pulling her close to me. I knocked once on Rory's door and heard her small voice.

"Come in."

I glanced to Emely before opening the door and walked in slowly. Her face lit up and she waved at me, sitting up in bed. "Jess," she grinned, "hey."

I smiled and pulled Emely up beside me, "Hey Rory, how are you?"

"Great," she smiled and her eyes fell to Emely, "and hello to you, too."

Emely gave her a small smile, "Hey there, I'm Emely. Jess' girlfriend. I've heard a lot about you and Marina. I was going out of town, but I wanted to meet both of you first. Is that okay?"

"That's perfectly fine," she smiled. "Marina's getting brought in soon."

I felt at ease, but then again, not so much. I wanted them to like each other and it seemed like we were headed that way, but something wasn't right. Something was wrong. Something made me uncomfortable.

"Well," Rory grinned and I swear you would never know she was in the hospital with that vibrant face, "sit and tell me about you. Jess only mentioned he had a girlfriend named Emely. He never told me details. So tell me things."

Emely laughed and let go of my hand. She sat down beside Rory and leaned back a little in the blue chair, "Things like what?"

"Anything," she smiled. "I've been cooped up in this place. I'm bored."

"Uh," Emely thought about it, before looking up at me with a confused smile. She looked back to Rory and shrugged, "I'm a Neurologist."

"Oh God," she looked so excited, "that sounds so fascinating!"

I couldn't help but keep my eyes on Rory. She was so lively. So vibrant and uncaring and free. She was fascinating to me. She had my attention all of the time, because I never knew what she would say. Or do.

I heard Emely laugh and say, "Well, it's something. It never gets boring, I don't guess."

"I had too weak of a stomach to do anything in the medical field," she shrugged. "Sounds fun, though."

"Sure," Emely smiled, "it's fun."

I could see it now. Emely was starting to understand why I spend time here. She looked up at me and gave me a nod, as if she got it. I smiled and leaned against the wall, listening to Rory yammer on to Emely.

She looked up at me and grinned, "So Jess, where's my McDonald's?"

"Shit," I mumbled, hitting my head, "I forgot, Rory."

"You're terrible."

"I know, I know," I shrugged, "I'm sorry?"

She waved her hand at me and smiled, "Eh, don't worry about it. I can have the yummy orange jell-o."

I shook my head, knowing she was being sarcastic. I watched her and Emely interact for another twenty minutes before the nurse walked in with Marina in her arms. I smiled as she was placed in Rory's arm and Emely leaned over to get a better look.

"Oh wow," I heard her say, "She's beautiful."

"Thank you," Rory smiled, looking up at me with a grin. She knew that was what I wanted to hear. I felt this surge of pride course through my veins once again. As if the baby was mine.

"Can I hold her?" Emely asked, leaning forward to touch Marina. Rory nodded and gently placed the bundle into Emely's soft arms. Emely grinned up at me, and squeezed Marina to her breasts. "She's just, too cute."

Rory smiled, touching her finger to the baby's soft curls. She looked distant. I wanted to reach out and touch her, hug her, or something. I didn't know what. She sensed me staring and glanced up, giving me a reassuring smile.

I sighed, attempting to smile back.

* * *

I walked Emely back to her car, my hands shoved in my pockets. She hooked her arm through mine and smiled up at me, the dreamy-baby look on her face.

I chuckled, "What?"

"She's a doll."

"I know," I nodded to her, "do you get it now?"

"Not at all," she shrugged, "but I don't have to get it. You're attached. To both of them."

"_Come_ on, Em," I groaned, pulling her to stand in front of me, "I don't want to hear that again."

Emely sighed, her eyes rolling, "It doesn't have to be attraction. But you are attached to Rory as well as Marina. You're like their guardian."

I laughed, "Sure."

"It's hot," she muttered, pressing her lips to mine briefly. We got to her car and I opened the door, leaning against it as she settled into her seat.

I looked down at her, tilting my head to the side, "Calling me tonight, huh?"

"Or in the morning. It depends on how tired I am," she said, cranking up her car. I nodded, leaning down to kiss her again. She held my head in place, making it longer. "She's prettier than I expected," she whispered, her eyes bright.

"I never said she was ugly," I replied, knowing she meant Rory.

Emely nodded, "Bye Jess."

"Be careful," I said, tapping the top of her car. Then I walked back to the hospital.

* * *

_**So here is the deal. When you review, I want to write. When I get no reviews, I start failing to write more chapters. :P So .. review?**_


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